Not Always So Brave
by xoxoconsu
Summary: Percy and Annabeth have been best friends since that first summer at Camp Half-Blood. The only problem is that Annabeth knows her feelings are changing. And she's not sure of what her feelings are changing into. Could anything help her out?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This was written some time ago, so please forgive the amateur-like skill of the writing. I'm going to continue this as soon as possible.

Annabeth's POV-

I looked out the window of the classroom, wondering how in Hades I was going to get home.

You see, I usually walk home from school, but with the pouring rain it would be hard, considering I had no umbrella. Ever since my dad got a new job here in New York, and our family moved here, I've been attending Goode High School. And since I'm at this school, I get to see my best friend, Percy Jackson, almost all the time.

"Ms. Chase? Annabeth Chase!" I heard a voice calling me. "You have been staring out that window for the past fifteen minutes, Ms. Chase!"

I blinked drowsily, and then my eyes shot open as my mind processed what was going on around me. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Jones. I must have been thinking about architectural buildings and their structures again." I apologized. Mrs. Jones was one of my favorite teachers. She taught architecture, and she somehow knew when I couldn't see something, or something was wrong because of my ADHD and dyslexia.

"Annabeth, please try to concentrate. I can't have you spacing out in the middle of my class, okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Jones. I'm sorry." I responded.

She nodded and walked away from my desk, and I shook my head to clear my jumbled thoughts.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I quickly strode to the door as soon as the bell rang, but the moment I stepped out the door, I crashed into something, wait, some*one*. I gasped and quickly began to stutter out an apology, until I looked up and met green eyes, sea-green eyes that were shining with a mischievous twinkle, that is.

"It's all right, Wise Girl. Maybe I shouldn't have stepped in your way, right?" He chuckled, and I was almost left breathless at the sound of his marvelous laugh. Then I shook myself out of my reverie. *What am I doing? Why am I thinking this? This is Seaweed Brain we're talking about here. He's been my best friend since the summer of sixth grade. Not someone I have a crush on!*

"Annabeth? Annabeth! Jeez, Wise Girl, don't space out on me! That's my job!"

Percy's whining quickly brought me back to reality. I shook my head and murmured, "Sorry, Seaweed Brain. Maybe I was still dazed because you got in my way." I smirked as I looked up at him, and tried not to laugh at his expression. His mouth was opening and closing repeatedly as he tried to think of a comeback, and his eyes were slightly wider.

"Don't hurt yourself thinking, Seaweed Brain. Just admit it, you can't think of something to say." I grinned and grabbed his forearm to pull him out of the way of the multitude of students streaming out of their classrooms.

"What- Wait, hey!" He made a face at me, and I laughed. "Come on, Percy. I have to get home in the rain."

"Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." Percy told me. I shot him a look that clearly said *Explain, now.*

"Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted a ride home so you wouldn't have to walk in the rain." He shrugged as he explained.

I nodded quickly, "Sure. That would be great," I smiled gratefully at him, "Thanks Percy."

"Don't mention it, Wise Girl." He grinned.

"Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain." I muttered. He smirked at me, and I lightly shoved him away. He just laughed quietly and grabbed me around the waist, easily picking me up and swinging me over his shoulder.

"Ah! Percy! Put me down!" I shrieked, hitting his back, trying to make him let go of me.

"No way! Do you or do you not want a ride, Annabeth?" He chuckled and kept walking through the hallways with me on his shoulder, which only earned us weird stares from the alumni.

"Put me down, Seaweed Brain!" I kept hitting him, but I slowly stopped as what he had said sunk in. "Oh… Yeah, I still want a ride. Just let go!"

He merely chuckled and shook his head, "No way, Wise Girl. You might run off as soon as I let you go."

"Let. Me. Go." I stated in a threatening tone.

He shook his head again, "No way, Annabeth."

"Let me go!" I shrieked and started hitting him again.

"Hey, you do know that doesn't hurt, right? Invincibility from the River Styx, remember?" He smirked as I continued hitting him, then I resorted to gently poking his only weak point, the small of his back, where his mortality was connected to the world. His knees buckled, and he almost dropped me and collapsed on the floor. Luckily, he leaned against a locker on one side, so I wouldn't be hit by it.

"Ready to give up, Seaweed Brain?" I smirked.

"Never, Wise Girl." Despite his reply, he put me back on the ground, and reluctantly let go of me.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: After a while of being stuck, I decided to start writing. Once I had written some of it, I got inspired. So here is the next chapter of Not Always So Brave.

Annabeth's POV-

I walked beside Percy to his car, quietly talking about what we were gonna do over spring break. He said he was probably going to stay in Manhattan with his mom, or go to camp so he could train more. I told him that I was going to camp, since Chiron needed me to help with some new campers.

As we walked up to his car, he quickly walked ahead and opened the passenger side door for me. Laughing quietly, I thanked him.

"No problem, Annabeth." He went to the other side of the car and got in, then started the car after we put on our seat belts.

"Well, you know where to go, Seaweed Brain." I smiled.

"Of course I know, I've been to your house before." He chuckled, and leaned forward to turn on the radio.

_There's something about the way_

_The street looks when it's just rained_

_There's a glow off the pavement_

_You walk me to the car_

_And you know I wanna ask you to dance right there_

_In the middle of the parking lot, yeah._

I smiled to myself, I liked this song.

"What are you smiling about, Annabeth?" He kept looking at the road, but he smiled too.

"Nothing, I just like this song." I told him.

"Oh. Well, yeah. I guess it's a cool song." He shrugged.

I laughed. "I think it is." But I didn't tell him why.

Just as he turned into the driveway, it started raining harder. I laughed. "Oh, gods. How am I gonna get inside?"

"I don't know, maybe run?" He laughed, too.

I nodded. "True." I grabbed my bag and unbuckled my seat belt, and he did the same. "What are you doing?" I looked questioningly at him.

"What? Can't I walk you to the door?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Percy." I opened the door and got out of the car, he got out after me. We both ran up to the porch, already soaked.

Laughing, I turned to him. "Thanks for the ride."

"It's no problem." He smiled.

I took a deep breath. _It's now or never_, I thought.

"Percy, I.."

"Can I…"

I blushed. "Go ahead."

"No, no. What were you gonna say?" He shook his head.

"I.. Um.." I sighed. I looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"What is it?"

"This." I leaned upwards and kissed him softly, shyly, fearing his reaction. I shouldn't have been afraid. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed back just as softly.

I smiled and put my hands on his shoulder. Pulling away, breathlessly, I told him, "That's what I wanted to tell you." I grinned.

He chuckled, seeming breathless himself. "That's what I wanted to tell you, too."

I might not always be so brave, especially when it comes to things like this, but that fact might not be so bad.

A/N: This is it. The second, and last, part of Not Always So Brave. I have to say, I actually like this. It's not too bad.


End file.
